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According to Darragh McDonald's report in MLB trade rumors, the Milwaukee Brewers are interested in resigning slugger Carlos Santana and are considering Garrett Cooper at first base. It seems like the Brewers are targeting the infield corner at the moment.
Cooper had a down year last season before heading to free agency. From 2019 to 2022, he slashed .274/.350/.444, which translated to a wRC+ of 117, 17% better than the league average. However, last year he batted .251/.304/.419, which translates to a slash line of 99 wRC+. This dip will likely affect his free agency interest.
According to McDonald, Brewer's interest in him is sensible given they currently have no one firmly occupying first base. Last year, first baseman Rowdy Tellez hit just .215/.291/.376, prompting him to be non-tendered. Sanatana, 37, had an average outing with a slash line of .240/.318/.429.
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Santana's age is not on the bright side of things either, prompting the team to look at acquiring Cooper.
The Brewers acquired first baseman Jake Bauers from the New York Yankees to address the void. But Bauers shouldn't be a hindrance for the team to look for other options since he doesn't have a lot of experience under his belt. Bauers slashed .211/.302/.361 in his 1,398 major league plate appearances.
Cooper has a career wRC+ of 120 versus lefties and 107 against righties. Bauers has a .210/.276/.330 batting line and 65 wRC+ versus southpaws, compared to .211/.310/.371 and 89 wRC+ against righties.
Milwaukee Brewers' 2023 season
The Brewers had a mixed season last year, with the team topping their division to eventually getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Wild Card series. They finished the regular season with a 92-70 record.
The club could only hit .240/.319/.385 for a wRC+ of 92, better than just six teams in the entire league. The team still has the talent to turn it around in 2024 but they'll need to address certain positions in the offseason.
